Getting To Joshua Tree National Park

While visiting Joshua Tree National Park in California, it might feel like you are in the desert out in the middle of nowhere, far away from civilization. Yet the proximity to several commercial airports in nearby metropolitan areas makes it easy to access any of the three park entrances.

• The West Entrance is located five miles (eight kilometers) south of the junction of Highway 62 and Park Boulevard at Joshua Tree Village.
• The North Entrance is in Twentynine Palms, three miles (five kilometers) south of the junction of Highway 62 and Utah Trail.
• The South Entrance near Cottonwood Spring is an access point along Interstate 10, 25 miles (40 kilometers) east of Indio.

More than likely, you will be flying into California then driving to one of those three park entrances. Fortunately, you have your pick of several commercial airports all within a few hours’ drive of Joshua Tree:

• ~45-50 miles (72.4-80.5 kilometers) east of Palm Springs
• 140 miles (225 kilometers) east of Los Angeles
• 175 miles (281.6 kilometers) northeast of San Diego
• 215 miles (346 kilometers) southwest of Las Vegas, Nevada
• 222 miles (357.3 kilometers) west of Phoenix, Arizona

Do not rely solely on your vehicle’s GPS device or your smartphone’s GPS app when driving to and through this national park. Sometimes these apps will attempt to route you onto backcountry roads with ruts or soft sand that may be impassable to your vehicle.

You can approach Joshua Tree from Interstate 10 or California Highway 62 (the Twentynine Palms Highway).

There are plenty of places at which to fuel your gasoline or electric powered vehicle prior to entering the park. There are also numerous dining, lodging, and grocery choices outside the park as well.